Lix Lorn
2012-01-13, 09:10 PM
A note: This class is explicitly more powerful than usual. Hopefully, its reliance on other characters will make it, though not balanced, not annoying to the other players. It is most certainly Tier Plot. Don’t put it in a game where it’s not the point of the game, or do so with extreme Caution.
That said, I tried to make the power level of each component reasonably low.
New Trait: Tattoo-Born
Prerequisites: None.
Benefit: You wear your heart on your sleeve; or rather, your skin. Your skills and powers are obvious to anyone who knows how to read them. In the case of magic users, initiators, or psionicists, the tattoos tend to directly match the spells, maneuvers or powers that they know. For rogues, fighters, or other classes that do not have something equivalent to a ‘spells known’ list, the tattoos tend to be more abstract and both larger, and fewer in number. A Decipher Script check with DC equal to 10+your ECL can reveal your classes, and spells, powers, or maneuvers you know.
Ritual: Rite of the Power Within
Prerequisites: None
Benefit: The supplicant gains the Tattoo-Born trait.
Process: The supplicant must find a Master willing to take them in, and to perform the ceremony. They spend a full day talking, spending time with each other, and sharing memories and thoughts. At the end of it, the Master, using his new-found knowledge of the supplicant, uses special inks to mark her powers and her spirit onto her skin, with tattoos that even he doesn't quite understand, even as he writes them. If the tattoos match her personality and skills, and are applied correctly, the innate magic within the supplicant takes hold of them, and they gain the Tatoo-Born trait.
Costs: The special inks required cost 500gp, and the Master uses his Marked As Mine ability on the supplicant.
Master of the Tattoo-Born
‘It is true; I am nothing without them. But with them, I am a god.’
Background: The Tattoo-Born are rare; and those that understand them rarer still. They often form communities; not desiring to mingle with people who often eschew them for their strange nature.
Races: Any race can be Tattoo-Born, but by sheer numbers most of them are human. Those who would study their Tattoos can be of any race, and often come from longer lived species such as elves, who can take advantage of the disparate skills they can gain.
Other Classes: Many other classes dislike the so-called Masters, who gain power from the tattooed that they have no right to wield.
Role: A Master can always fill one role well, and often backs up several other characters as a secondary player.
Masters in the World: Masters often end up in positions of authority, as the power they gain from such varied skills allows them to easily acquire a position from which they can access more skills.
Inspiration: The original idea was a Master of a harem who was a wizard, and kept his spellbook on the harem. :smalltongue:
Prerequisites: None, if no-one nearby is Tattoo Born you’ll have no real class features.
Alignment: Any, but often Lawful.
Hit Die: d8
Starting Gold: As Wizard
Starting Age: As Wizard
Class Skills-All skills are class skills for the Master. Especially Decipher Script.
Skill Points at 1st level: (4+ Int Modifier) x4
Skill Points per Level: 4+ Int Modifier
Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Special
1st
+0
+1
+1
+1
Lesser Tattoo Study
2nd
+1
+1
+1
+1
Greater Tattoo Study
3rd
+2
+2
+2
+2
Understanding the Art of Nature
4th
+3
+2
+2
+2
Marked As Mine
5th
+3
+3
+3
+3
Lesser Tattoo Study
6th
+4
+3
+3
+3
7th
+5
+3
+3
+3
Greater Tattoo Study
8th
+6/+1
+4
+4
+4
9th
+6/+1
+4
+4
+4
Lesser Tattoo Study
10th
+7/+2
+5
+5
+5
11th
+8/+3
+5
+5
+5
12th
+9/+4
+5
+5
+5
Greater Tattoo Study
13th
+9/+4
+6
+6
+6
Lesser Tattoo Study
14th
+10/+5
+6
+6
+6
15th
+11/+6/+1
+7
+7
+7
As My Subjects, So Their Master
16th
+12/+7/+2
+7
+7
+7
17th
+12/+7/+2
+7
+7
+7
Greater Tattoo Study, Lesser Tattoo Study
18th
+13/+8/+3
+8
+8
+8
19th
+14/+9/+4
+8
+8
+8
20th
+15/+10/+5
+9
+9
+9
Together We Stand
Note: Average Save progression is 1+0.4 per level.
Weapon and Armour Proficiency: A Master is, as standard, proficient with light armour, no shields, and all simple weapons, as well as one martial weapon of his choice.
Lesser Tattoo Study: At first level, and at each fourth level thereafter, you begin to study the powers locked inside the Tattoos, using your own skills to take them into yourself.
For each time this ability appears, you may choose one of the following abilities. These abilities are chosen from the tattoos at hand, and are prepared anew each day.
Fury (Requires access to Tattoos from a barbarian or rage using class of level 1, +4 for each subsequent time)
Studying Fury grants you use of Rage, as a Barbarian, once per encounter. It also grants DR/-, which stacks with everything.
Song (Requires access to Tattoos from a bard or bardic music using class of level 1, +4 for each subsequent time)
Studying Song grants you a number of uses of Bardic Music per day equal to your Master level, maximum four for each time you study Song. It also allows access to any Bardic Music usable by a Bard of the lesser of your master level and the number of times you choose Song, times four.
War (Requires access to Tattoos from a class with full BAB of level 1, +4 for each subsequent time)
Taking this retroactively increases four of your Master levels to full BAB. Each subsequent time upgrades another four levels. In addition, you may gain proficiency with one of the following: all martial weapons, all armour, shields (except tower shields), one exotic weapon, or tower shields (only if already proficient with shields) each time you pick War.
Discipline (Requires access to Tattoos from a monk or similar class of level 1, +4 for each subsequent time)
Studying Discipline grants you some of the abilities of the Monk. Assuming this (”http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150122”) Monk, you gain the Unarmed Strike, Flurry, and AC bonus of a Monk of your Master level, but not higher than four times the number of times you have Studied Discipline.
Holiness (Requires access to Tattoos from a paladin or similar class of level 1, +4 for each subsequent time)
Studying Holiness grants you the Smite Opposition ability twice per encounter for each time you Study Holiness. In addition, you may use Lay On Hands (Or its equivalent) as if a Paladin of your Master level, but not higher than four times the number of times you have Studied Holiness.
Stealth (Requires access to Tattoos from a rogue or similar class of level 1, +4 for each subsequent time)
Studying Stealth increases your skill points per level to 6+Int for the first four levels of Master, retroactively if necessary. Studying more than once affects the next four levels.
In addition, you gain Sneak Attack as a Rogue of your Master level, but not higher than four times the number of times you have Studied Stealth.
Greater Tattoo Study: At second level, and each fifth level thereafter, you are capable of studying the secrets of more complex tattoos-those detailing magicks, the powers of the mind, or beyond. Your Master Level for the purposes of these abilities is equal to your Master Level, minus the number of levels you took of Master before taking them.
(Thus, an eighth level Master who chooses Magic at level 2 and Mind at level 7 is 7th level for Magic, and 2nd level for Mind)
Each Greater Tattoo Study allows you one advancement from the following list. You may choose the same study twice, in which case you may add your effective levels together, to a maximum of your ECL, or treat them separately. All gained abilities are used with Intelligence.
Magic
This Study requires access to a Tattooed with a spells known list of any kind. Their tattoos show their spells known, and you can prepare spells from that list. They are and are Arcane or Divine matching their original source. Your spells per day are determined by your Master Level, and are as follows:
Level
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
1
3
1
2
4
2
3
4
3
4
4
4
5
4
4
1
6
4
4
2
7
4
4
3
1
8
4
4
4
2
9
4
4
4
3
1
10
4
4
4
4
2
11
4
4
4
4
3
1
12
4
4
4
4
4
2
13
4
4
4
4
4
3
1
14
4
4
4
4
4
4
2
15
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
1
16
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
2
17
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
1
18
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
2
19
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
1
20
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
2
Mind
This Study requires access to a Tattooed with a powers known list of any kind. Their tattoos show their powers known, and you can prepare powers from that list. Your powers prepared per day, and your power points, are determined by your Master Level as follows:
You can never select a power of the highest level any of your Tattoo-Born knows, unless their highest level is level 1.
Level
Prepared
PP
1
2
2
2
3
4
3
4
7
4
6
11
5
7
16
6
8
22
7
9
29
8
11
37
9
12
46
10
13
56
11
14
67
12
16
79
13
17
92
14
18
106
15
19
121
16
21
137
17
22
154
18
23
172
19
24
191
20
26
201
Might
This Study requires access to a Tattooed with a maneuvers known list of any kind. Their tattoos show their maneuvers and stances known, and you can ready maneuvers and borrow stances from that list. Your maneuvers readied, and your power points, are determined by your Master Level as follows. You can never select a maneuver of the highest level any of your Tattoo-Born knows, unless their highest level is level 1. You recover maneuvers in the same way as the initiator you studied to gain this class feature.
Level
Readied
Stances
1
3
0
2
3
1
3
4
1
4
4
1
5
5
2
6
5
2
7
5
2
8
6
2
9
6
3
10
7
3
11
7
3
12
7
3
13
8
3
14
8
4
15
9
4
16
9
4
17
9
4
18
10
4
19
10
4
20
11
5
Cards
This Study requires access to a Tattooed with access to Calling cards. Their tattoos show their most precious Cards, and you can create duplicates of them. Your cards available are determined by your Master Level as follows:
(Note you follow the same rules as a Cardcaller for determining how many cards of a single level you may use, and you can never select a card of the highest level any of your Tattoo-Born can choose, unless their highest level is level 1)
Level
Cards
1
4
2
5
3
6
4
7
5
8
6
9
7
10
8
11
9
12
10
13
11
14
12
15
13
16
14
18
15
20
16
22
17
24
18
26
19
28
20
30
Understanding the Art of Nature: A Master of third level is beginning to understand tattoos more effectively than those not dedicated to them. He gains a competence bonus on Decipher Script checks to read tattoos on Tattoo-born equal to his class level.
Marked As Mine (Ex): A Master of fourth level can mark his most loyal subjects as, in some minor way, his-whether as friends, lovers, colleagues, or anything else. While he can Mark anyone in this way, the target is only considered Marked for this and other abilities if they are Tattoo-born. He gains a +5ft speed bonus if moving towards them, a +1 AC bonus if in a square next to them, and a +1 bonus on attack rolls If targeting the same enemy as them. They gain the same bonuses for him. Applying this effect takes one minute, and cannot be performed on an unwilling target. A Master may mark no more beings with this ability than his class level.
As My Subjects, So Their Master: A Master of fifteenth level is defined as strongly by his Marked as by himself. He gains a +1 competence bonus on any skill which one of his marked has maxed. In addition, he gains several tattoos based on his marked. In the case of marked with a ‘spells known’ equivalent (IE those acquired with Greater Tattoo study), he gains a single one of their spells known as a tattoo on his own body. For marked of other natures, he may treat one ability he could acquire from them with lesser Tattoo Study as a tattoo on his own body.
Together We Stand (Su): A Master of twentieth level is sustained by his Marked. He cannot die permanently while one of his Marked survived. If he is slain, then exactly a week from the moment of death, as long as he has at least one Marked remaining, who has been Marked for at least one month and still holds good opinions of him (i.e. has not been Imprisoned to act as a phylactery), he is subject to a True Resurrection effect. After this effect reacts, there is a one day period before all Marked lose their status-he must renew their Marks with physical contact.
His Marked too obtain long life from this link; they cannot die from old age, and in fact do not age past the point they would desire to. They can however be slain as normal.
Finally, once per day a Master may summon his Marked to him. They are subject to a Greater Teleport effect, as well as a Plane Shift if necessary. If unwilling, they may resist this ability with a will save.
Feats
Emotion Over Study
Prerequisites: About to take or have taken at least one level of Master.
Benefit: Any class features based on Intelligence are instead based on Charisma.
Understanding, Not Studying
Prerequisites: About to take or have taken at least one level of Master.
Benefit: Any class features based on Intelligence are instead based on Wisdom.
Spread the Love
Prerequisites: The Marked As Mine ability.
Benefit: You may mark more beings simultaneously. The additional number is equal to your Intelligence modifier.
Special: This feat may be taken a number of times equal to a quarter of your Master level
ACFs
Any class not mentioned here can probably be adapted into a Study, with possible exception of the Factotum for being the same but more balanced.
That said, I tried to make the power level of each component reasonably low.
New Trait: Tattoo-Born
Prerequisites: None.
Benefit: You wear your heart on your sleeve; or rather, your skin. Your skills and powers are obvious to anyone who knows how to read them. In the case of magic users, initiators, or psionicists, the tattoos tend to directly match the spells, maneuvers or powers that they know. For rogues, fighters, or other classes that do not have something equivalent to a ‘spells known’ list, the tattoos tend to be more abstract and both larger, and fewer in number. A Decipher Script check with DC equal to 10+your ECL can reveal your classes, and spells, powers, or maneuvers you know.
Ritual: Rite of the Power Within
Prerequisites: None
Benefit: The supplicant gains the Tattoo-Born trait.
Process: The supplicant must find a Master willing to take them in, and to perform the ceremony. They spend a full day talking, spending time with each other, and sharing memories and thoughts. At the end of it, the Master, using his new-found knowledge of the supplicant, uses special inks to mark her powers and her spirit onto her skin, with tattoos that even he doesn't quite understand, even as he writes them. If the tattoos match her personality and skills, and are applied correctly, the innate magic within the supplicant takes hold of them, and they gain the Tatoo-Born trait.
Costs: The special inks required cost 500gp, and the Master uses his Marked As Mine ability on the supplicant.
Master of the Tattoo-Born
‘It is true; I am nothing without them. But with them, I am a god.’
Background: The Tattoo-Born are rare; and those that understand them rarer still. They often form communities; not desiring to mingle with people who often eschew them for their strange nature.
Races: Any race can be Tattoo-Born, but by sheer numbers most of them are human. Those who would study their Tattoos can be of any race, and often come from longer lived species such as elves, who can take advantage of the disparate skills they can gain.
Other Classes: Many other classes dislike the so-called Masters, who gain power from the tattooed that they have no right to wield.
Role: A Master can always fill one role well, and often backs up several other characters as a secondary player.
Masters in the World: Masters often end up in positions of authority, as the power they gain from such varied skills allows them to easily acquire a position from which they can access more skills.
Inspiration: The original idea was a Master of a harem who was a wizard, and kept his spellbook on the harem. :smalltongue:
Prerequisites: None, if no-one nearby is Tattoo Born you’ll have no real class features.
Alignment: Any, but often Lawful.
Hit Die: d8
Starting Gold: As Wizard
Starting Age: As Wizard
Class Skills-All skills are class skills for the Master. Especially Decipher Script.
Skill Points at 1st level: (4+ Int Modifier) x4
Skill Points per Level: 4+ Int Modifier
Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Special
1st
+0
+1
+1
+1
Lesser Tattoo Study
2nd
+1
+1
+1
+1
Greater Tattoo Study
3rd
+2
+2
+2
+2
Understanding the Art of Nature
4th
+3
+2
+2
+2
Marked As Mine
5th
+3
+3
+3
+3
Lesser Tattoo Study
6th
+4
+3
+3
+3
7th
+5
+3
+3
+3
Greater Tattoo Study
8th
+6/+1
+4
+4
+4
9th
+6/+1
+4
+4
+4
Lesser Tattoo Study
10th
+7/+2
+5
+5
+5
11th
+8/+3
+5
+5
+5
12th
+9/+4
+5
+5
+5
Greater Tattoo Study
13th
+9/+4
+6
+6
+6
Lesser Tattoo Study
14th
+10/+5
+6
+6
+6
15th
+11/+6/+1
+7
+7
+7
As My Subjects, So Their Master
16th
+12/+7/+2
+7
+7
+7
17th
+12/+7/+2
+7
+7
+7
Greater Tattoo Study, Lesser Tattoo Study
18th
+13/+8/+3
+8
+8
+8
19th
+14/+9/+4
+8
+8
+8
20th
+15/+10/+5
+9
+9
+9
Together We Stand
Note: Average Save progression is 1+0.4 per level.
Weapon and Armour Proficiency: A Master is, as standard, proficient with light armour, no shields, and all simple weapons, as well as one martial weapon of his choice.
Lesser Tattoo Study: At first level, and at each fourth level thereafter, you begin to study the powers locked inside the Tattoos, using your own skills to take them into yourself.
For each time this ability appears, you may choose one of the following abilities. These abilities are chosen from the tattoos at hand, and are prepared anew each day.
Fury (Requires access to Tattoos from a barbarian or rage using class of level 1, +4 for each subsequent time)
Studying Fury grants you use of Rage, as a Barbarian, once per encounter. It also grants DR/-, which stacks with everything.
Song (Requires access to Tattoos from a bard or bardic music using class of level 1, +4 for each subsequent time)
Studying Song grants you a number of uses of Bardic Music per day equal to your Master level, maximum four for each time you study Song. It also allows access to any Bardic Music usable by a Bard of the lesser of your master level and the number of times you choose Song, times four.
War (Requires access to Tattoos from a class with full BAB of level 1, +4 for each subsequent time)
Taking this retroactively increases four of your Master levels to full BAB. Each subsequent time upgrades another four levels. In addition, you may gain proficiency with one of the following: all martial weapons, all armour, shields (except tower shields), one exotic weapon, or tower shields (only if already proficient with shields) each time you pick War.
Discipline (Requires access to Tattoos from a monk or similar class of level 1, +4 for each subsequent time)
Studying Discipline grants you some of the abilities of the Monk. Assuming this (”http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150122”) Monk, you gain the Unarmed Strike, Flurry, and AC bonus of a Monk of your Master level, but not higher than four times the number of times you have Studied Discipline.
Holiness (Requires access to Tattoos from a paladin or similar class of level 1, +4 for each subsequent time)
Studying Holiness grants you the Smite Opposition ability twice per encounter for each time you Study Holiness. In addition, you may use Lay On Hands (Or its equivalent) as if a Paladin of your Master level, but not higher than four times the number of times you have Studied Holiness.
Stealth (Requires access to Tattoos from a rogue or similar class of level 1, +4 for each subsequent time)
Studying Stealth increases your skill points per level to 6+Int for the first four levels of Master, retroactively if necessary. Studying more than once affects the next four levels.
In addition, you gain Sneak Attack as a Rogue of your Master level, but not higher than four times the number of times you have Studied Stealth.
Greater Tattoo Study: At second level, and each fifth level thereafter, you are capable of studying the secrets of more complex tattoos-those detailing magicks, the powers of the mind, or beyond. Your Master Level for the purposes of these abilities is equal to your Master Level, minus the number of levels you took of Master before taking them.
(Thus, an eighth level Master who chooses Magic at level 2 and Mind at level 7 is 7th level for Magic, and 2nd level for Mind)
Each Greater Tattoo Study allows you one advancement from the following list. You may choose the same study twice, in which case you may add your effective levels together, to a maximum of your ECL, or treat them separately. All gained abilities are used with Intelligence.
Magic
This Study requires access to a Tattooed with a spells known list of any kind. Their tattoos show their spells known, and you can prepare spells from that list. They are and are Arcane or Divine matching their original source. Your spells per day are determined by your Master Level, and are as follows:
Level
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
1
3
1
2
4
2
3
4
3
4
4
4
5
4
4
1
6
4
4
2
7
4
4
3
1
8
4
4
4
2
9
4
4
4
3
1
10
4
4
4
4
2
11
4
4
4
4
3
1
12
4
4
4
4
4
2
13
4
4
4
4
4
3
1
14
4
4
4
4
4
4
2
15
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
1
16
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
2
17
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
1
18
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
2
19
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
1
20
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
2
Mind
This Study requires access to a Tattooed with a powers known list of any kind. Their tattoos show their powers known, and you can prepare powers from that list. Your powers prepared per day, and your power points, are determined by your Master Level as follows:
You can never select a power of the highest level any of your Tattoo-Born knows, unless their highest level is level 1.
Level
Prepared
PP
1
2
2
2
3
4
3
4
7
4
6
11
5
7
16
6
8
22
7
9
29
8
11
37
9
12
46
10
13
56
11
14
67
12
16
79
13
17
92
14
18
106
15
19
121
16
21
137
17
22
154
18
23
172
19
24
191
20
26
201
Might
This Study requires access to a Tattooed with a maneuvers known list of any kind. Their tattoos show their maneuvers and stances known, and you can ready maneuvers and borrow stances from that list. Your maneuvers readied, and your power points, are determined by your Master Level as follows. You can never select a maneuver of the highest level any of your Tattoo-Born knows, unless their highest level is level 1. You recover maneuvers in the same way as the initiator you studied to gain this class feature.
Level
Readied
Stances
1
3
0
2
3
1
3
4
1
4
4
1
5
5
2
6
5
2
7
5
2
8
6
2
9
6
3
10
7
3
11
7
3
12
7
3
13
8
3
14
8
4
15
9
4
16
9
4
17
9
4
18
10
4
19
10
4
20
11
5
Cards
This Study requires access to a Tattooed with access to Calling cards. Their tattoos show their most precious Cards, and you can create duplicates of them. Your cards available are determined by your Master Level as follows:
(Note you follow the same rules as a Cardcaller for determining how many cards of a single level you may use, and you can never select a card of the highest level any of your Tattoo-Born can choose, unless their highest level is level 1)
Level
Cards
1
4
2
5
3
6
4
7
5
8
6
9
7
10
8
11
9
12
10
13
11
14
12
15
13
16
14
18
15
20
16
22
17
24
18
26
19
28
20
30
Understanding the Art of Nature: A Master of third level is beginning to understand tattoos more effectively than those not dedicated to them. He gains a competence bonus on Decipher Script checks to read tattoos on Tattoo-born equal to his class level.
Marked As Mine (Ex): A Master of fourth level can mark his most loyal subjects as, in some minor way, his-whether as friends, lovers, colleagues, or anything else. While he can Mark anyone in this way, the target is only considered Marked for this and other abilities if they are Tattoo-born. He gains a +5ft speed bonus if moving towards them, a +1 AC bonus if in a square next to them, and a +1 bonus on attack rolls If targeting the same enemy as them. They gain the same bonuses for him. Applying this effect takes one minute, and cannot be performed on an unwilling target. A Master may mark no more beings with this ability than his class level.
As My Subjects, So Their Master: A Master of fifteenth level is defined as strongly by his Marked as by himself. He gains a +1 competence bonus on any skill which one of his marked has maxed. In addition, he gains several tattoos based on his marked. In the case of marked with a ‘spells known’ equivalent (IE those acquired with Greater Tattoo study), he gains a single one of their spells known as a tattoo on his own body. For marked of other natures, he may treat one ability he could acquire from them with lesser Tattoo Study as a tattoo on his own body.
Together We Stand (Su): A Master of twentieth level is sustained by his Marked. He cannot die permanently while one of his Marked survived. If he is slain, then exactly a week from the moment of death, as long as he has at least one Marked remaining, who has been Marked for at least one month and still holds good opinions of him (i.e. has not been Imprisoned to act as a phylactery), he is subject to a True Resurrection effect. After this effect reacts, there is a one day period before all Marked lose their status-he must renew their Marks with physical contact.
His Marked too obtain long life from this link; they cannot die from old age, and in fact do not age past the point they would desire to. They can however be slain as normal.
Finally, once per day a Master may summon his Marked to him. They are subject to a Greater Teleport effect, as well as a Plane Shift if necessary. If unwilling, they may resist this ability with a will save.
Feats
Emotion Over Study
Prerequisites: About to take or have taken at least one level of Master.
Benefit: Any class features based on Intelligence are instead based on Charisma.
Understanding, Not Studying
Prerequisites: About to take or have taken at least one level of Master.
Benefit: Any class features based on Intelligence are instead based on Wisdom.
Spread the Love
Prerequisites: The Marked As Mine ability.
Benefit: You may mark more beings simultaneously. The additional number is equal to your Intelligence modifier.
Special: This feat may be taken a number of times equal to a quarter of your Master level
ACFs
Any class not mentioned here can probably be adapted into a Study, with possible exception of the Factotum for being the same but more balanced.